Original Word: בֶּשֶׂם
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: besem
Pronunciation: BOH-sem
Phonetic Spelling: (beh'-sem)
KJV: smell, spice, sweet (odour)
NASB: spices, balsam, fragrant, spice, sweet perfume
Word Origin: [from the same as H1313 (בָּשָׂם - Spice)]

1. fragrance
2. (by implication) spicery
3. (also) the balsam plant

smell, spice, sweet odor

Or bosem {bo'-sem}; from the same as basam; fragrance; by implication, spicery; also the balsam plant -- smell, spice, sweet (odour).

see HEBREW basam

Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
spice, balsam, the balsam tree
NASB Translation
balsam (3), fragrant (2), spice (2), spices (22), sweet perfume (1).

בּ֫שֶֹׂם noun masculine^{1Kings 10:10} spice, balsam, balsam-tree (Arabic , Aramaic בּוּסְמָא, , Greek βάλσαμον; compare Löw⁵³) — ׳ב Isaiah 3:24 +, בֶּ֫שֶׂם Exodus 30:23 see below, בְּשָׂמִי Songs 5:1 (as if from בָּשָׂם); plural בְּשָׂמִים Exodus 25:6 18t., בְּשָׂמָיו Songs 4:16; — 1 spice, perfume, sweet odour Isaiah 3:24; קִנְּמָןבֶּֿשֶׂם Exodus 30:23 (׳ב perhaps so pointed to distinguish it from) קְנֵהבֿשֶֹׁם Exodus 30:23; — with this compare Aramaic , קני בוסמא — spices as costly, token of wealth 2 Kings 20:13 = Isaiah 39:9 compare 2 Chronicles 32:27; royal gifts 1 Kings 10:2,10,25 2Chron 9:1; 9:19; 9:24; compare singular 1 Kings 10:10 2Chronicles 9:9; as article of commerce Ezekiel 27:22; burnt at burial 2Chronicles 16:14; appointed for ingredient of the anointing oil Exodus 25:6; Exodus 35:8 compare Exodus 35:28 (all P), compare 1 Chronicles 9:30 (Palmyrene see above); stored in temple 1 Chronicles 9:29; used for purifying the women of Ahasuerus Esther 2:12; elsewhere only Songs 4:10,14 spices, Songs 4:16 balsam-juice, gathered Songs 5:1; balsam-tree ׳הָרֵי ב Songs 8:14; beds of balsam ׳עֲרֻגוֺת בּ Songs 6:2; compare ׳עֲרֻוּגַת בּ Songs 5:13 simile of lover's cheeks.

Overview of Biblical Usage

בֶּשֶׂם (besem) denotes sweet-smelling spices, perfumes, or balsam. About thirty Old Testament verses employ the word, clustering in the Torah (for cultic service), the Historical Books (royal luxury and funeral rites), the Wisdom and Poetic Books (imagery of love and delight), and Esther (courtly beauty). Across these settings the term conveys pleasant fragrance, material value, and symbolic acceptance before the LORD.

Cultic and Liturgical Application

In the wilderness sanctuary Israel was commanded to contribute “spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense” (Exodus 25:6). The same phrase recurs in Exodus 30:23; 35:8; 35:28, underscoring that sacred fragrance was integral to both consecration oil and the incense that rose before the mercy seat. Because the ingredients were costly, their use highlighted the holiness of God and the wholehearted generosity of the people (Exodus 35:21-29). The aroma filling the tabernacle portrayed the acceptability of Israel’s worship (cf. Leviticus 1:9, 13 where “pleasing aroma” appears with a different Hebrew word but the same idea).

Royal and Noble Uses

Besem is linked with regal splendor. The Queen of Sheba “gave the king one hundred twenty talents of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again was such an abundance of spices brought in as those the Queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon” (2 Chronicles 9:9). The chronicler’s hyperbole shows that rare fragrance was a benchmark of international wealth. At King Asa’s burial “they laid him on a bier covered with spices and various blended perfumes” (2 Chronicles 16:14), reflecting Near-Eastern custom that honored royalty with aromatic preservation and publicly announced esteem.

Poetic and Wisdom Literature

Song of Solomon employs besem more than any other book, weaving it into the garden imagery of marital love:

• “Your love is more delightful than wine; the fragrance of your perfume (בֶּשֶׂם) is better than all spices” (Song of Solomon 4:10).
• “Spikenard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with every kind of incense tree, myrrh and aloes, with all the finest spices” (Song of Solomon 4:14).
• “My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spice, to browse in the gardens and to gather lilies” (Song of Solomon 6:2).

Within the poem, fragrance symbolizes intimacy, pleasure, and mutual delight—realities that, in canonical context, also foreshadow Christ’s love for His bride (Ephesians 5:25-32).

Proverbs 27:9 adds: “Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.” Here besem represents emotional refreshment, paralleling the joy that godly companionship brings.

Commercial and Geographic Context

Ancient Israel sat at the crossroads of the spice roads linking Arabia, India, and the Mediterranean. Balsam from the Dead Sea region, frankincense from southern Arabia, and imported cinnamon or calamus were prized commodities. Isaiah 60:6 (though using a cognate) foresees caravans bringing such riches to Zion, hinting at messianic fulfillment when Gentile worshippers present gifts (Matthew 2:11). The economic reality behind besem enriches our understanding of its high value and why Scripture often pairs it with gold and precious stones.

Courtly Beauty and Preparation

Esther 2:12 describes twelve months of preparation for the young women in Ahasuerus’ harem: “six months with oil of myrrh and six months with perfumes and cosmetics.” The regimen demonstrates how fragrance signified readiness to enter the king’s presence. Spiritually, it pictures the believer’s sanctification—an inner work that produces the “fragrance of Christ” (2 Corinthians 2:15).

Prophetic and Eschatological Hints

Though besem rarely appears in the Prophets, its thematic undercurrent of pleasing aroma informs passages where God rejects hypocritical worship (Isaiah 1:13) or promises future acceptance (Ezekiel 20:41). The material spice of the Old Covenant foreshadows the perfect, once-for-all sacrifice of Christ, whose self-offering “gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2).

Theological and Ministerial Implications

1. Worship must be both costly and pure. The preparation of tabernacle spices demanded exact obedience (Exodus 30:34-38). In pastoral ministry, this warns against casual or self-willed approaches to God.
2. True devotion leaves a fragrance that others detect (John 12:3; Philippians 4:18). Generous giving, sacrificial service, and intercessory prayer rise before the Lord with spiritual aroma.
3. The believer’s identity in Christ involves being “the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and those who are perishing” (2 Corinthians 2:15). Ministry, therefore, is not merely verbal proclamation but a lived fragrance generated by the Spirit.

Key References

Exodus 25:6; 30:23-34; 35:8, 28

2 Chronicles 9:9; 16:14

Song of Solomon 4:10-16; 5:1-13; 6:2; 7:13; 8:14

Esther 2:12

Proverbs 27:9

Summary

בֶּשֶׂם portrays the sweet aroma of worship, wealth, love, and life in covenant with God. Whether rising from the golden altar, adorning a royal funeral, perfuming the marriage bed, or preparing a maiden for the king, its fragrance points to the greater reality of Christ, whose sacrificial love fulfills every shadow and whose Spirit now spreads the knowledge of Him “like fragrance on the breeze” (2 Corinthians 2:14).

בְּשָׂמִ֔י בְּשָׂמִ֣ים בְּשָׂמִ֧ים בְּשָׂמִֽים׃ בְּשָׂמִים֙ בְשָׂמִֽים׃ בְשָׂמָ֑יו בֶּ֥שֶׂם בַּבְּשָׂמִ֔ים בֹ֖שֶׂם בֹּ֜שֶׂם בבשמים בשם בשמי בשמיו בשמים בשמים׃ הַבְּשָׂמִ֜ים הַבֹּ֑שֶׂם הַבֹּ֔שֶׂם הַבֹּ֖שֶׂם הבשם הבשמים וְהַבְּשָׂמִֽים׃ וְלִבְשָׂמִים֙ וּבְשָׂמִ֔ים וּבְשָׂמִ֛ים וּבְשָׂמִים֙ ובשמים והבשמים׃ ולבשמים כַּבֹּ֣שֶׂם כַבֹּ֨שֶׂם כבשם לַבְּשָׂמִֽים׃ לבשמים׃ bab·bə·śā·mîm babbesaMim babbəśāmîm ḇə·śā·māw bə·śā·mî bə·śā·mîm ḇə·śā·mîm be·śem ḇəśāmāw besaMi bəśāmî besaMim bəśāmîm ḇəśāmîm Besem beśem bō·śem ḇō·śem Bosem bōśem ḇōśem chabBosem hab·bə·śā·mîm hab·bō·śem habbesaMim habbəśāmîm habBosem habbōśem kab·bō·śem ḵab·bō·śem kabBosem kabbōśem ḵabbōśem lab·bə·śā·mîm labbesaMim labbəśāmîm ū·ḇə·śā·mîm ūḇəśāmîm uvesaMim vehabbesaMim velivsaMim vesaMav vesaMim Vosem wə·hab·bə·śā·mîm wə·liḇ·śā·mîm wəhabbəśāmîm wəliḇśāmîmInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts